Card and the like for sequence sorting



Sept. 3, 1940.

D. A. NEVIN CARD AND THE LIKE FOR SEQUENCE SORTING Filed Sept. 19, 1939MONO Bil/MHZ Kw FIG. 1

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE SORTIN CARD AND THE LIKE (1:013-SEQUENCE Donald A. Nevin, Athens,

McBee Company,

Ohio, alsig'nor to The Athens, Ohio, a corporation Application September19, 193 9, Serial No. 295,583 1 Claim. (Cl. 129-161) My inventionrelates to a new and useful improvement in perforated record cards,sheets and the like, such as are used for sorting, separating andclassifying for accounting and statistical rec- 5 ords, into desiredsequence.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that record cards aresorted in two different ways; namely, selective sorting and sequencesorting. When cards are sorted selectively, only those 10 cards of aparticular or desired classification are wholly or partially removedfrom a plurality or stack of similar cards, whereas, when such cards aresorted into a sequence, all of them are rearranged from their originalorder into the de- 15 sired order or sequence.

The mechanics employed in card sorting are known to those skilled in theart as the positive (direct) and inverse (indirect) means. The positive(direct) means identifies the method whereby only the desired cards aremoved, ex-

posed or completely removed from a plurality of similar cards, while theundesired cards remain in their original order orposition.

The inverse (indirect) means is defined as the method whereby theundesired cards are moved, partially exposed, or wholly removed from theplurality, leaving the desired cards in their original position.

My invention relates particularly to a new and useful improvement in acard and the like for sequence sorting by the inverse method.

Record cards of this type are used in large quantities and after beingsorted or classified a few times and the results tabulated, are fre- 85quently filed away and only used for occasional references. As the costof cards and filing space for the keeping of these records is a largeitem in modern business, it makes it desirable that the desiredclassifications be coded so as to se- 0 cure the maximum of informationon the smallest standard size card, using a minimum quantity of cardsand hence a minimum amount of filing space is required.

I am aware that various improvements in card 45 codings have been madeto conserve card space, such as, perforations in the body of the card,together with slots substantially punched connecting a perforation inone row with an adjacent perforation in another row. United States 50Letters Patent No. 1,739,087, dated Dec. 10, 1929, is designed as animprovement over the United States Letters Patent No. 1,544,172, datedJune 30, 1925, both issued to Perkins, by providing the medium of codingwhich utilizes a staggered hole as arrangement thereby reducing thenumber of lateral perforations required in each group, from four tothree.

In the embodiment of my invention, each card is provided with twolateral series of perforations adjacent one or more of its edges, onese- 5 ries of which may be notched to the edge of the card, severalperforations on all the cards being so placed as to coincide one withanother, when the cards are stacked together, so that by the passing ofa rod, wire, or othenseparating implement through any coinciding row ofsuch perforations, the cards in which those perforations have beenopened out to the edge may be separated from the remaining cards, theperforations of which have not been so opened out. The other or innerseries of perforations may be opened outwards to the outer series toform elongated slots, so that by the passing of a rod, wire, or otherseparating implement through any coinciding row of these innerperforations, the cards in which those perforations have been elongatedoutwards to the outer perforation will remain in their original positionwhen the rod is lifted, while those not so elongated will be elevatedthe distance of the slot length, above the body of 5 the stack of cards.

The principal object of my invention is to combine a series of codedperforations adjacent the edge or edges of a card and a plurality ofnotches which extend from certain of those perforations 0 to the edge ofthe card to form a pattern of notches, which pattern identifies theparticular card so notched with a single classification whereby thecards may be sorted inversely and completely removed, while being sortedinto nurnerical or other desired sequence, with another series ofperforations parallel to and adjacent the first series and in verticalalignment therewith, which may be connected to the perforations of theouter series by cutting away the intervening material between theperforations so that they may also be inversely sorted with marginalexposure and subsequent complete removal to effect a sequence sort ofthe cards.

It is a further object of my invention to divide these rows ofperforations into groups. These groups are then coded either numericallyor otherwise and the groups are separated by printed lines to facilitatethe correct notching or slotting of the card in a predetermined mannerin accordance with the code selected.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a card or the likewith perforations adjacent one or more of the edges which can be codedeither numerically or otherwise from 0 upwards to any desired numericallimit along side and edge.

It is still another object of my invention to connect some of the firstrow of perforations ad- Jacent the edge with certain of the second rowof perforations by slots so as to obtain marginal exposure of suchcards.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readilyunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing which is hereuntoannexed and forms a part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is an illustration of my invention, showing two rows ofperforations adjacent the edge of the card and divided into numericalfields or groups of eight holes by printed lines;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing marginal exposure ofcertain cards in a stack of cards through the second row ofperforations;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how the marginallyexposed sorting cards of Fig. 2 may be removed from the rest of thestack for additional sortirigs or tabulations where that is desired;

Figs. 4 to 8 are fragmentary views of a card showing successiverepresentation of such a card after it has been notched and slotted tocorrespond to the numbers "1 to 10, only one of the fields or groupsbeing so cut.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entirespecification.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a card, sheet or the like i has a rowof perforations 2 adjacent and parallel to the edge of the card and asecond inner row of perforations 3 adjacent and parallel to the firstrow of perforations 2. The perforations of the inner row 3 being soaligned with the perforations in the outer rows in a directionperpendicular to the edge of the card. These rows of perforations 2 and,3 are preferably divided into groups 4, by printed lines 5 and line 6.

To facilitate the resorting of cards misplaced in stacking, each cardhas the upper right hand corner 1 cut away. Adjacent to each of thecornets 8, 9, iii of the card, I provide holes ii, l2, and i3. A sortingneedle or rod of the proper dimensions is inserted in each of the holesil, [2, i3 of any card extending beyond the cutofi. corner 1 and bylifting the needle those cards which have become misplaced in stackingwill be withdrawn from the mass of cards and can be readily replaced incorrect position for sorting.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 8, there is shown the sequence of the card icoded with numerals 58 'l 4 2 1 in each field of perforations, bysuccessive illustrations of the appearance of the card when notched andslotted in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 4 shows the row of perforations 2 notched at coded numeral 1 withnotch i5 for the coded numeral 1" and the row of perforations 3connected to the row of perforations 2 at coded numerals 42 by slots i6for marginal exposure of card I for coded numeral 6.

Fig. 5 is representative of a card i having coded numeral 2 notched withnotch l5 referring to coded numeral 2 in the row of perforations 2 andslot i6 connecting coded numeral '7 of the row of perforations 2 withthe row of perforations 3 for coded numeral '7 for marginal exposure ofthat classification.

In Fig. 6 the card] has the perforations 2 notched at the coded numerals2 and l for the coded numeral 3 andthe marginal exposure 7 of card I forthe coded numeral 8" is obtained by connecting perforations 2 and 3 ofcoded numeral! with slot I! and notch II of coded numeral 1 with slotI'I.

Fig. '7 shows a card notched for the coded numeral "4" and slotted formarginal exposure 5 of coded numeral 9.

The card I in Fig. 8 is shown to be notched for the coded numeral 5 andslotted for marginal exposures of the card for coded numeral 10"(7-2-1). 10

The method of sorting or arranging in numerical sequence cards of myinvention is similar to that disclosed only in the Perkins patents abovereferred to. The cards are first arranged in correct order, that is faceto back and right 16 side -up, by means of the cut away corner 1. Thesorting needle is passed in turn through successive holes and by liftingthe needle those cards which have the corresponding hole notched outwill fall from the mass. The operation is 20 repeated through all of theperforations of tin: coded fields until all cards are sorted intonumerical sequence. a

When the needle i8, Fig. 2, has been passed through a hole in the lowerrow which is slotted 25 into a corresponding hole in the upper row, butis not opened out through the edge, such a card l9 or cards will onlydrop a distance equal to that between the lower row of holes 3 and theupper rows of holes 2 thus exposing a margin of 30 the cards not soslotted. Following this occurrence in the sorting operations, themarginally exposed cards may be compressed firmly between the thumb andfingers of one hand, to hold the cards which extend above the remainder35 in the position shown in Fig. 3, or if a sorting tray is used, theusual compressor may be employed for this purpose. The sorting needle I.is then withdrawn and inserted in a hole I adjacent to the cut corner I,of those cards 40 which did not drop, following which the compression'may be released and the elevated cards impaled on the needle, may bewithdrawn in the usual manner.

In preparing perforated cards of this type 45 for sorting andclassifying by the needle" method, a punching device provided with acoded keyboard is frequently used for rapidity and accuracy in cuttingout the holes corresponding to the system in use." It is important forno checking purposes, however, that the holes be divided by printedlines and numerals or other printed code identifications which indicatethe proper cutting of portions adjacent to certain holes or combinationsof certain holes, this fea- 5 ture alone determining the system to beused in sorting.

Many users of these cards prefer the hand ticket" punch method ofpreparing the cards for sorting. To those skilled in the art it is oborvious that the proper combination of notches, slots or openings toobtain the most characteristics in a given width of card depends uponthe dividing of the most advantageous number of holes into groups byprinted lines combined with marking the holes with numerals, or otherindicia, which instruct the operator in the preparation of the card.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: 70

A stack of cards for classification purposes, each card provided with aseries of coded perforations adjacent one. or more edges, a pattern ofnotches in the edges of each card which refer to a singleclassification, and a second 76 series of perforations adjacent to andparallel with the first series, the centers of the perforations of thetwo series being in vertical alignment, the space between certain ofsaid aligned perforations being cut away forming a pattern of slotswhich refer to a single classification,

whereby inverse sorting with marginal exposure and complete removal, andsequence sorting may be obtained, certain of the notches in the edges ofa card intersecting certain of said slots for representation of certainvalues.

DONALD A. NEVIN.

